The night wind rustled the leaves.

The man looked at a distant, dim light, his eyes becoming gentle.

“A sweet mouth isn’t all pepper heart. If it were all pepper heart, you wouldn’t be standing here listening to me.”

Whether using force or gentleness, neither was as moving as splitting open one’s heart and exposing the bloody wound.

The story was fabricated, but the dreams were real, the wounds were real, and the bone-deep pain was real.

Xie Zhifei decided to gamble.

He gambled on Yan Sanhe’s soft heart, gambled she wasn’t made of iron, gambled she held sympathy for Wu Shunian and Zhou Ye.

Xie Zhifei gambled correctly.

Yan Sanhe was silent for a long time before responding: “Mm!”

This one “Mm” made Xie Zhifei’s brows and eyes lift, his smile like bright May sunshine.

His heart was immensely pleased. His hand moved faster than his brain, ruffling Yan Sanhe’s hair.

Ruffling again?

“Xie Zhifei, I have conditions.”

“As long as it’s not murder or arson, anything can be satisfied.”

“I want to see the case files of all murder cases in the eighth year of Yonghe in Great Hua Kingdom.”

“What did you say?” The smile froze on Xie Zhifei’s face.

“Remember—the entire Hua Kingdom.”

Yan Sanhe learned from him, smiling roguishly.

“Don’t ask why. If you want me to investigate the Zheng family case, do as I say. I’ll give you three months at most.”

Xie Zhifei: “…”

Is she crazy?

Three months?

The entire Hua Kingdom?

Yan Sanhe stood on tiptoe, stretched her arms, and vigorously ruffled his hair.

“The next inner demon should be on its way. Third Master, I’m very busy. I might leave the capital soon. Think it over carefully?”

“Yan Sanhe, why do you need to…”

“I already said—don’t ask why.”

Yan Sanhe’s face was cold, her tone arrogant. “What divine women need to do isn’t something you ordinary mortals can understand.”

Third Master Xie: “…”

“Before the sun rises tomorrow…”

Yan Sanhe’s gaze pressed in inch by inch. “Give me an answer. If you can’t do it, just pretend I never said this. If you can, we start investigating tomorrow.”

Third Master Xie’s lips moved slightly. He wanted to say something more, but Yan Sanhe had already strutted away like a victorious rooster, head held high.

Reaching the corner, Yan Sanhe’s face instantly fell.

Sorry, Xie Zhifei.

To keep you from being suspicious, I can only make you investigate all murder cases from the eighth year of Yonghe.

My apologies for the trouble!

…

Third Master’s courtyard was called Shi’an Courtyard.

The lights in both wing rooms of Shi’an Courtyard were still lit.

Ding Yi looked at Third Master sitting rigidly in the grand preceptor chair, sensing things weren’t good.

Sure enough, Third Master’s first words posed a difficult problem.

“Do you know how many Provincial Administration Offices our Hua Kingdom has, and how many prefectures, provinces, and counties are under the Provincial Administration Offices?”

Ding Yi shook his head.

“Do you know how many murder cases a county, a province, a prefecture has in one year combined?”

Ding Yi shook his head again.

“Do you know how many years have passed since the eighth year of Yonghe to this year?”

Ding Yi could answer this question.

“Replying to Master, a full nine years.”

“Very good. Now, your master wants you to do something.”

“Master, please instruct.”

“All the case files of all murder cases from every prefecture, province, and county in all of Great Hua Kingdom in the eighth year of Yonghe—find a way to get them for your master.”

“Smack!”

Ding Yi’s legs went weak and he dropped straight to his knees, wailing: “Master, this servant, this servant…”

“And it must be within three months.”

What?

I’m not having auditory hallucinations, am I?

Ding Yi felt his ears and mouth were blocked by something—he couldn’t hear, couldn’t speak.

“Your master will point you toward a clear path.”

Third Master: “Those we can reach—take my waist token and go directly. Those we can’t reach—find Pei Mingting.”

Ding Yi’s face fell. “What use is finding Young Master Pei?”

Third Master laughed coldly: “Officials and their wives all believe in gods and Buddhas. Believing in gods and Buddhas means believing in monks and Daoists. Young Master Pei manages the monks and Daoists. Tell me—is it useful or not?”

Ding Yi: “But Young Master Pei is so busy, he might not have time…”

Third Master said calmly: “Tell him this is also something his beloved wants him to do. Let him weigh it himself.”

Sorry about that, Brother Mingting.

Who told you to fancy Yan Sanhe?

Divine women aren’t so easily married into the family.

…

In Jingsi Residence.

Li Buyan stared at Yan Sanhe incredulously while the latter silently lowered her head under that murderous gaze.

“Forget it!”

Li Buyan sounded resigned. “I don’t blame you for being soft-hearted. I only blame the one surnamed Xie for having too many tricks.”

Sometimes the beautiful man strategy, sometimes the acting cute strategy, sometimes the showing weakness strategy…

“But, Sanhe.”

Li Buyan’s tone was deeply earnest.

“You really need to think this through. The Zheng family case isn’t a small matter. Even the one surnamed Xie said—pull one thread and the whole body moves. If things go wrong, heads will roll.”

“I’ve thought it through!”

Yan Sanhe raised her head. “A pampered young master who’s never suffered isn’t afraid—what do I have to fear?”

Li Buyan fell silent. “Yan Sanhe, tell me honestly—do you have some thoughts about the one surnamed Xie?”

Yan Sanhe was startled.

“What thoughts?”

This girl still hasn’t caught on!

Li Buyan spoke euphemistically: “For example, you’re very happy when you see Third Master, miss him a bit when you can’t see him. Or when he and Young Master Pei stand together, you only look at him…”

“No.”

Yan Sanhe really couldn’t listen anymore. Where were all these strange thoughts coming from?

“I just feel that when this person ruffles my hair, it’s very comfortable.”

Li Buyan: “?”

Yan Sanhe: “Also, when he gets the short end of the stick, I feel thoroughly pleased.”

Li Buyan: “?”

“Let’s not talk about him.”

Yan Sanhe pulled Li Buyan to sit down. “Help me sort through the Zheng family case.”

“We’re starting already? He hasn’t given you an answer yet!”

“He’ll agree.”

“Why are you so certain? It’s a whole year’s worth of murder cases from the entire Hua Kingdom!”

“Because…”

Yan Sanhe smiled calmly: “He has no choice!”

…

The study fell completely quiet.

Xie Zhifei got up and opened the window.

Moonlight streamed into the room, a floor of shimmering light.

Heaven and earth were so quiet, yet his heart was pounding rapidly.

Yan Sanhe never said useless words, and would never do useless things. She wanted the murder cases from the eighth year of Yonghe, and wanted them so urgently…

Not only was this suspicious, it was highly suspicious.

If he wasn’t mistaken, this should be related to Yan Sanhe’s background.

All sorts of chaotic thoughts emerged one by one in Xie Zhifei’s mind, ultimately crystallizing into one sentence:

This is a good thing.

Just then, Xie Erli walked through the moonlight.

Seeing it was him, Xie Zhifei’s handsome face visibly fell. “Big Brother, why did you come at this late hour?”

Xie Erli entered the study, his eyes suddenly becoming sharp.

Xie Zhifei steeled himself and walked over. “What’s wrong, Big Brother? Why the stern face?”

“Kneel down.”